Using Best Practices in the Design of a Performance Management Plan

StatNet ConferenceAugust 20, 2013

EDWARD J. COLLINS CENTER FOR PUBLIC MANAGEMENT

What Are Best Practices?

▸ They represent the service levels that are achieved by well-managed and high-achieving municipalities.

▸ They replace the industrial engineering time-and-motion studies that no one does any more. Too costly, and no one has time to conduct them Eliminates the “Hawthorne Effect”

They come from industry sources (APWA, AWWA, etc.) and first-hand observations of municipalities excelling at the services they provide.

What Are Best Practices?

▸ They may relate to: Response times Resource utilization Service provision (e.g., provision of master plan,

strategic plan, five-year plans, etc.)

▸ They are NOT: Surveys of similar organizations Averages of data Statements of outputs

Why Use Best Practices?

▸ They reflect the practices and service levels of well-managed municipalities providing the same or similar services that you provide in your own city or town.

▸ They can be useful in developing and refining your own performance measures. Establish your own baselines Compare to best practices Make alterations in processes Refine your performance targets

Why Use Best Practices?

▸ They can highlight services that may need to be altered: Is additional training required? Is outsourcing the most viable option? Should your DPW be “insourcing” more work?

▸ Used in combination, they can highlight staffing or operational issues: Example: 200 VEUs per Mechanic, and vehicle

downtime over 10% points to a staffing issue.

Enhance Keep as Is

Reduce Resources

Contract or Eliminate

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Low High

Performance

SERVICE DECISION MAKING MATRIX

Examples

▸ Staffing:▸ 1 Parks Maintenance FTE per 8 to 10 developed

acres▸ 1 Equipment Mechanic per 90 to 110 Equivalent

Vehicle Units▸ 4 to 5 traffic engineers per 100,000 population▸ 1 Facilities Maintenance Technician per 50,000

square feet of maintainable space

Examples

▸ Resource Utilization▸ Vehicle Maintenance “wrench turning” time

should be 80% to 85% of available hours.▸ Facilities maintenance technicians should

achieve a 1:1 ratio of preventive to corrective maintenance.

Examples

▸ Response Times▸ Respond to all reports of potholes within 24

hours▸ Establishment of priority codes for facilities

maintenance response:▸ Priority 1: Safety and health. Should respond

95% of the time within 2 hours.▸ Plan reviews should be completed by

Engineering staff within 2 weeks of receipt (for first review).

Examples

▸ Service Provision▸ Replace 1% to 2% of distribution and collection line

annually▸ Resurface 5% to 8% of paved surfaces annually▸ Attain APWA certification▸ Develop and implement five-year strategic plan